Table of Contents
Best Tires for Chevrolet Malibu
1. Cooper - Discoverer True North
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Manufactured by the tire company known as Cooper, the Discoverer True North is a studless ice and snow winter tire developed specifically for drivers of sedans, cross-overs, coupes, and SUVs. The Cooper – Discoverer True North is among the best winter tires for your Chevrolet Malibu, as it is designed to provide the vehicle with excellent traction when road conditions are icy, snowy, or slushy.
Moreover, these tires provide highly responsive steering and exceptionally confident handling, meaning that the Cooper – Discoverer True North tires meet the severe snow service rating of the tire industry, thereby earning them the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF).
The Cooper – Discoverer True North are winter-focused tires and are specialized for the weather and road conditions that ice and snow bring to the table. This specialization is achieved through the high silica content of the tire, and as a matter of fact, the Cooper – Discoverer True North has the highest silica content out of all the winter tires manufactured by Cooper.
Further, the tires' outboard shoulder contains wide tread blocks, which help to improve lateral grip, thereby improving dry traction and, hence, handling. Meanwhile, a high void ratio of the middle of the tread to the inboard shoulder aids grip and handling for wet traction.
The tire's wide lateral notches and circumferential center groove help to remove water and slush from the surface grooves of the tire, thereby improving what is known as hydroplaning resistance. As a winter-focused tire, the Cooper – Discoverer True North is designed with a specialized winter compound, which, when combined with the tires' high spine density, allows for exceptional traction on any wet surfaces, including roads covered in ice, snow, or slush.
The Cooper – Discoverer True North's internal construction is composed of a two-ply polyester casing to balance the relationship with the durability of the tire and the comfort of the ride. The tires' tread area is supported by two wide steel belts, while the responsiveness of the tires' handling and exceptional high-speed performance capabilities are supported using single-ply nylon reinforcement.
To get your hands on Cooper’s Discoverer True North Tires for wintertime rides in your Chevy Malibu, go ahead and check out Tire Rack. They have the Discoverer True North available in various sizes with an estimated cost of $140 to $190.
2. General AltiMAX Arctic 12
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Manufactured by the tire company known as General, the General AltiMAX Arctic 12 are studdable winter/snow tires designed for sedans, crossovers, SUVs, and coupes. These tires are designed to provide exceptional performance and confident handling on dry, wet, and snowy roads, thereby making the General AltiMAX Arctic 12 one of the most commonly recommended tires for winter.
As a tire manufactured to provide the vehicle with traditional wintertime traction, the General AltiMAX Arctic 12 tires are manufactured using a winter-focused compound that is molded into a highly directional tread pattern.
The central rib of the tire's treading is a rigid, arrow-shaped tread, which provides exceptional steering response and a highly solid on-center feel for the vehicle's driver. Moreover, the tire's tread contour is optimized in such a way as to aid the pressure distribution across the surface of the tire, thereby increasing the overall lifespan of the surface tread.
General's AltiMAX Arctic 12 tires are designed with high-void, angled grooves as well as wide lateral notches, which aid in the evacuation of slush and water from the tire's contact patch, thereby resisting the effects of hydroplaning. Moreover, confident traction on slippery road conditions is achieved via serrated sipes and strategically angled tread blocks, both of which provide the tire with additional biting edges.
General's AltiMAX Arctic 12 tires have an internal construction that consists of a high-turn-up polyester casing underneath two wide steel belts. Additionally, the tires' high-speed durability and confident handling are supported using a spirally wound polyamide cap ply.
All these factors and specifications combine to create tires that certainly meet the tire industry's very severe snow service requirements, meaning that the General AltiMAX Arctic 12 tires are branded with the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol.
Tire Buyer is a great option from which to purchase the General AltiMAX Arctic 12, as they have this tire available in a variety of sizes, one of which is bound to be a perfect fit for a Chevrolet Malibu LS, RS, and even the Malibu Premier. You’ll be able to get your hands on the General AltiMAX Arctic 12 for an estimated price of $80 to $180, depending on the tire size.
3. Ironman GR906
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The Ironman GR906 are standard touring tires designed to provide exceptional performance, high-speed durability, and confident handling in all seasons. Featuring a technologically advanced all-season tread, the Ironman GR906 tires are designed to handle many different types of weather and road conditions, including dry, wet, snowy, etc. In fact, we would most certainly recommend the Ironman GR906 as among the best all-season standard touring tires out there.
The tread design is highlighted by gripping sipes that provide powerful biting edges to improve traction and ensure that the vehicle handles exceptionally, no matter what the road conditions. Moreover, the tires' low rolling resistance improves fuel efficiency in the short term and improves the high-speed durability of the tires in the long term.
The low rolling resistance of the Ironman GR906 is created by the all-season tread compound used to manufacture the tires. What's more, the tread pattern created on the surface of the tires using this all-season compound makes for an exceptionally strong and stable gripping action, which not only improves handling but also makes for a much quieter ride.
Further, the tread pattern of the Ironman GR906 tires is highly symmetrical, which has proven to deliver more reliable handling and, by making the tires more durable at high speeds, allows for a longer lifespan.
Lastly, Ironman offers its customers a two-year Road Hazard Protection Policy, according to which your tire will be replaced if it suffers damage under the normal road and driving conditions. However, this policy is excluded on tire sizes below a 40 series section width.
Tire Buyer has the Ironman GR906 available in sizes 13” through 17” for great deals with free shipping. You can get this tire from Tire Buyer for an estimated price of $60 to $100.
4. Cooper Evolution Tour
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The Cooper Evolution Tour tires are standard all-season touring tires developed for the drivers of sedans, crossovers, and even minivans. Built for both comfort and strength, the Cooper Evolution Tour tires manage to strike a perfect balance of performance between smoothness, quietness, handling, and durability.
Moreover, these tires are designed to provide exceptionally confident handling and traction in all seasons, including dry, wet, and snowy conditions. They are, without a doubt, somewhere at the top of the list of the best standard all-season touring tires by Cooper.
The Cooper Evolution Tour tires are manufactured using an all-season compound, which is molded into a highly symmetric pattern. This pattern allows for easy cross-rotation, which helps the tire resist irregular wear and tear.
Moreover, by coupling the elements of the tires' center and intermediate ribs, the tires are able to achieve an exceptionally high level of stability. This feature, combined with Cooper's StabilEdge technology, helps the tires achieve extremely precise and responsive handling in both dry and wet road conditions.
Further, four wide circumferential grooves and open shoulder notches allow for the efficient evacuation of water and slush from the tire's contact patch, thereby resisting hydroplaning. Moreover, the tires' 3D Micro-Gauge sipes are manufactured to be full-depth, thereby providing excellent traction in both wet and wintry (snowy or icy) conditions long into the tires' lifespan.
Finally, the internal construction of the Cooper Evolution Tour tires is composed of a one-ply polyester casing that supports the twin steel belts. A two-ply sidewall is provisioned by the high ply turnup, while a single nylon overwrap helps to reinforce the tread area, thereby improving durability, which in turn improves the high-speed capabilities of the tires as well as their handling responsiveness.
If all-season standard touring tires sound perfect for your Chevrolet Malibu, head on over to Tire Rack where you can get this tire in sizes 14” through 18” for an estimated cost of $90. What’s more, at Tire Rack you can avail free shipping and a free two-year road hazard protection coverage of $34 per tire.
5. Uniroyal Tiger Paw GTZ A/S 2
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The Uniroyal Tiger Paw GTZ A/S 2 (All-Season 2) are ultra-high performance all-season tires developed for drivers of coupes, sports cars, and sedans. The Uniroyal Tiger Paw All Season 2 tires are designed to provide a perfect balance between high-speed durability, exceptional handling responsiveness, and ride comfort. Moreover, the tires are designed to have a long tread life and provide the vehicle with excellent traction in all seasons, including light snow.
The Uniroyal Tiger Paw is certainly among the best high ultra-high performance all-season tires and are often recommended for high-performance vehicles like a Chevrolet Malibu RS or a Malibu Premier.
Utilizing an all-season tread compound, the Uniroyal Tiger Paw GTZ All-Season tires have a symmetrical tread design that features a large outboard shoulder and a continuous center rib that allows for exceptionally responsive handling and highly satisfying feedback upon cornering.
The block design is computer-phased, which, when combined with Uniroyal's Tru-Last technology, helps to minimize road noise and also helps to maintain an even footprint, making for long-lasting tread life.
The Uniroyal Tiger Paw GTZ All-Season tires feature large lateral notches along the treading, which continuously channel water from the contact patch to the tires' four circumferential grooves, thereby increasing hydroplaning resistance. Moreover, high-performance biting edges are created by the tires' scalloped intermediate tread blocks and ridges in the outboard grooves, both of which combine to improve the slush and snow traction of the tires.
Finally, the Uniroyal Tiger Paw GTZ All-Season 2 tires have an internal construction composed of a two-ply polyester casing, which makes for high-speed durability as well as exceptional ride comfort. High-speed stability and highly responsive handling are achieved using twin steel belts with a single nylon reinforcement ply.
Tire Buyer is an excellent option from which to buy Uniroyal Tiger Paw GTZ A/S 2 tires for your Chevrolet Malibu. Tire Buyer has these tires available in sizes 16” through 18” and you can avail free shipping to purchase these Uniroyal tires at an estimated cost of $150 to $300 per tire, depending on the tire size.
6. Pirelli Cinturato P7
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The Cinturato P7 is Pirelli's Grand Touring All-Season tire that is developed for the drivers of luxury touring and touring vehicles. These tires provide all-season handling, as well as everyday drive comfort and highly responsive and predictable handling. Designed specifically to be driven across the full range of weather conditions, the Pirelli Cinturato P7 tires feature lower rolling resistance, lower weight, and reduced noise, all while enhancing year-round traction and wet braking.
As far as picking the best tires for a Chevrolet Malibu goes, the Pirelli Cinturato P7s are highly recommended for drivers of luxury touring vehicles involved in all-season, year-round, and cross-country driving. This includes the Chevrolet Malibu RS and the Malibu Premier.
Notably, Pirelli's Cinturato P7 All Season Plus tires can boast the fact that they are developed to be environmentally friendly. Pirelli's EcoImpact icons can confirm the lower impact on the environment that comes with the use of the Cinturato P7 tires. With regards to efficiency, low noise pollution, and clean air, the Cinturato P7 tires are designed to tick all the environmentally friendly boxes.
Pirelli's Cinturato P7 tires make use of an all-season tread compound that has high-silica and low oil content in order to reduce rolling resistance and braking distances. This all-season tread compound is molded into an asymmetrical tread design that manages to perfectly blend the capabilities of dry road handling with traction for wet roads and wintertime conditions.
The internal construction of the Cinturato P7 tires is composed of twin, lightweight steel belts that are reinforced by variable tension spirally wrapped polyamide. These features allow for the enhancement of the tires' high-speed durability, ride quality and comfort, and handling responsiveness. Moreover, the Cinturato P7 All-Season Plus tires feature a sidewall that is progressively flexible, which helps to cut down on the unnecessary dispersal of energy, thereby reducing tire deformation and rolling resistance.
Notably, Pirelli's Cinturato P7 All-Season Plus tires are designed, manufactured, and produced using eco-fused manufacturing methods. In addition to this, the tires feature low rolling resistance compounds and constructions that help to enhance the economy of the vehicle's fuel.
To get your hands on Pirelli’s Cinturato P7 tires, visit Tire Rack and find out if they have this tire in a size that will fit your Chevrolet Malibu. You can purchase the Cinturato P7s for an estimated cost of $170 to $400, depending on the size.
7. General G-Max RS
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The General G-Max RS tires are General's Ultra High-Performance Summer tires that are designed for the drivers of sports cars, modern muscle cars, sporty coupes, and performance sedans. These tires are specifically designed to perform in warm, dry, and also wet conditions. Notably, like all high-performance summer tires, the G-Max RS tires are not designed to be driven or even stored in below-freezing temperatures. Importantly, these tires are not designed to be driven through snow or ice.
If you were to ask us, we would say that the G-Max RS tires are among the best of General’s ultra-high-performance tires for the summer. Moreover, these tires are often recommended for drivers of high-performance sedans, such as a Chevy Malibu, as well as modern sports vehicles.
The tires' treaded area is made using a high-performance summer compound, which is molded into the directional tread pattern found on G-Max RS tires. A solid center rib on the tires helps to provide a very confident on-center feel, which improves handling responsiveness and also aids efficient braking and acceleration.
Meanwhile, General's SmartGrip technology makes for crisp steering response and handling that feels like that of a sports vehicle. Moreover, StabilTread technology creates a relatively wide contact patch for the tire, providing even pressure distribution that has advantages for both tire longevity as well as cornering traction.
The intermediate ribs consist of wide, angled notches which efficiently channel water to the deeper circumferential grooves, allowing for greater hydroplaning resistance. Moreover, open shoulder slots on the G-Max RS tires create powerful biting edges, allowing for high-performance traction even in rather slippery conditions.
The internal construction of the General G-Max RS tires is composed of a single-ply polyester casing. Meanwhile, the high turnup casing helps to improve steering response and results in an internal construction composed of a two-ply sidewall. Handling responsiveness and high-speed capabilities are both enhanced through the two high-strength steel belts, which feature a two-ply polyamide reinforcement.
Finally, General's SmartMonitor technology is utilized in the G-Max RS tires, which can be confirmed by noting the words "Replacement Tire Monitor" molded into the center rib of the tires. This allows for the constant monitoring of the wear on the tire. When the tire 2/32" remaining tread depth, the words "Replacement Tire Monitor" evolve to then read "Replace Tire," thereby alerting the driver of the vehicle that the tire has reached its point of wear and needs to be replaced.
Visit Tire Rack to purchase General’s ultra-high performance G-Max RS tires for summertime cruising in your Chevrolet Malibu. They have this tire available in sizes ranging from 16” to 20” and you can purchase the G-Max RS for an estimated cost of $160.
8. Hankook – Dynapro HP2 (RA33)
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The Dynapro HP2 (RA33) is Hankook's Touring All-Season tire designed for the drivers of pickup vehicles, crossovers, and sport utility vehicles. These tires are designed for year-round performance in all seasons and road conditions and are designed to strike a balance between high-quality ride comfort, low rolling resistance, and low wear, thereby promoting more economical fuel consumption.
Hankook's Dynapro HP2 RA33 tires are among the best tires designed to deliver high-performance traction in all seasons, include dry, wet, and winter conditions, as well as light snow.
Featuring a tread compound, enhanced with silica, from which a symmetric tread is designed and molded, the Dynapro HP2 tires are able to blend dry, wet, and wintertime traction all into one tread design. Moreover, the 3D Shoulder Block technology combines with sipes that are oriented radially, thereby locking together to generate more stiffness in the tread blocks, to improve handling responsiveness on dry roads. Meanwhile, a solid center rib promotes steering stability and allows for more responsive feedback, thereby permitting more stable cornering as well as a longer tire lifespan.
The Dynapro HP2 tires include four circumferential grooves that allow for the efficient channeling of water towards the grooves, thereby maintaining traction in wet road conditions and increasing resistance to hydroplaning. What's more, the tread blocks are composed of engineered siping, which, by adding many tiny biting edges to the treaded surface of the tire, helps generate greater traction in snow and handling in winter road conditions.
The internal structure of Hankook's Dynapro HP2 RA33 tires consists of two wide steel belts reinforced using spirally wound jointless nylon cord, which combines ride uniformity with high-speed durability. Finally, ride comfort is blended in a balanced manner with steering responsiveness using a high-density polyester casing.
Tire Buyer is a great place from where you can buy Hankook’s Dynapro HP2 RA33 tires with free shipping. At Tire Buyer you will find these tires available in sizes 16” through 22” and can purchase them for an estimated cost of $140 for the smallest size and $240 for the largest.
9. Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 (K120)
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Hankook's Ventus V12 evo2 K120 tires are Max Performance Summer tires developed for the drivers of sporty coupes, sports vehicles, and high-performance sedans. Not only do these tires have a lot of style and personality, but they are designed to deliver exceptional traction and handling specifically for dry summer road conditions. In fact, we’d go so far as to say that Hankook’s Ventus V12 evo2 is among the best max performance summer tires for sports vehicles available today.
Ventus V12 evo2 tires deliver exceptional control and comfort in both warm and dry as well as wet road conditions. Importantly, like all high-performance summer tires, Hankook's Ventus V12 evo2 tires are not designed to be driven or stored in near-freezing temperatures. Driving these tires through snow or ice is very dangerous as they are not designed for these kinds of road conditions.
The Ventus V12 evo2 K120 Tires are manufactured using a high radial grip silica tread compound, which is composed of a highly innovative functionalized styrene polymer. These compounds help to lower the tire's rolling resistance, thereby enhancing the vehicle's fuel economy without sacrificing the performance of either dry or wet traction capabilities.
The aforementioned compound is molded into a directional tread design that creates notched shoulders and 3D intermediate ribs. These intermediate ribs flank a continuous solid center rib, which promotes dry handling responsiveness and high-performance traction.
Moreover, circumferential grooves, as well as aqua jet lateral grooves, promote highly energy-efficient evacuation of water from the tire's central contact patch, thereby increasing traction on wet roads and creating more resistance to hydroplaning. Further, noise is reduced using stealth technology and an innovative wing-tip design featured grooves in the intermediate blocks.
The internal construction of Hankook's Ventus V12 evo2 tires features two wide steel belts that are reinforced using two plies of spirally-wrapped jointless nylon. The hard rubber is essentially sandwiched between the sidewall's polyester cord casing plies using high stiffness bead fillers. This feature improves handling responsiveness by resisting tire distortion and deformation during cornering and especially when achieving high speeds.
Tire Rack has the Ventus V12 evo2 tires available in sizes 16” through 20” and can be purchased at an estimated cost of $150 to $300 with free shipping.
10. Continental ExtremeContact Sport
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The ExtremeContact tires are Continental's Max Performance Summer tires that are developed for the drivers of powerful luxury vehicles, performance sedans, and sports cars. These tires are specifically designed for those drivers who wish to strike a balance between high-performance capabilities in both dry and wet road conditions, ride comfort, and low noise levels.
Notably, like all high-performance summer tires, Continental's ExtremeContact Sport tires are not designed or intended for use in lower-than-freezing temperatures and snowy or icy road conditions.
Continental's ExtremeContact Sport tires utilize a specialized summer compound that is molded into a five or six rib asymmetric tread design. Moreover, these tires feature Continental's SportsPlus Technology, which allows for greater emphasis on precision handling and traction on wet roads to permit an all-rounded and maximized performance.
The tires' outside shoulder consists of wide tread blocks which deliver lateral grip and permit high-speed handling. Moreover, the continuous solid center rib delivers a consistent contact between the road and the tires, providing a highly on-center feel. Meanwhile, an optimized tire footprint allows for the even distribution of pressure across the surface of the tire, which results in improved tread lifespan.
Continental's +Silane tread compound technology allows for a grip that creates solid handling in wet road conditions, while the deep circumferential grooves make for efficient channeling of water away from the contact patch, thereby increasing hydroplaning resistance.
Notably, the ExtremeContact Sport tires feature Quickview Performance Indicators that are molded right into the tread pattern, which provide an at-a-glance awareness of the tire's current suitability for various road conditions.
Lastly, the ExtremeContact Sport tires have an internal construction composed of a polyester cord body casing as well as a two-ply sidewall, which adds stiffness to the sidewalls without sacrificing any of the ride comfort. Moreover, two high-tensile steel belts are supported by the casing ply, as well as two spirally wound polyamide cap plies, which help to reinforce the tire structure, thereby increasing the high-speed capabilities of the tire.
Tire Rack is an excellent place from where to buy the Continental ExtremeContact Sport tires as you can avail free shipping and purchase the tires for an estimated cost of $130 to $425, depending on the tire size.
Buying Guide for Chevrolet Malibu Tires
Tire Size
When replacing the tires on your Chevrolet Malibu, it is essential that you know the correct size of tire. Tire sizes are generally expressed using a series of numbers and letters, such as 240/41-R18. The first number in the series refers to the width of the tires in millimeters.
Meanwhile, the aspect ratio is expressed by the number that comes after the forward slash. This aspect ratio indicates the height of the tire's sidewall.
Lastly, the final number in the series expresses the diameter of the wheel in inches. The 'R' in the example provided indicates that the tire in question is a radial tire.
Speed Rating
Tires also have a speed rating which indicates how fast they can rotate in a safe manner for a long period of time. The speed rating is also a way of expressing the overall performance capabilities of the tire. Tires that are designed for high performance and ultra-high performance vehicles usually have a higher speed rating than tires designed for more standard vehicles.
The speed rating of a tire is represented by a letter in alpha-numeric code and is usually provided after the expression, which represents the tire size. The letter used to represent speed ratings range from L all the way to the letter Y in alphabetical order, while the corresponding speed ratings range from 75mph to over 185mph.
About The Author
Charles Redding
I've spent many years selling cars, working with auto detailers, mechanics, dealership service teams, quoting and researching car insurance, modding my own cars, and much more.
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